Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Shattered by Valerie Davisson

Life often changes without notice. What may have been the direction set in place can be changed in an instant without permissions or notice. It is how we react to that change that defines who we become.

In Shattered by Valerie Davisson, Logan McKenna has lost her husband, their business and her own self-worth. Her job is in jeopardy and she struggles with her future. Making a decision to help her best friend from high school, she agrees to help out at their booth at the Otter Arts Festival. Her friend Thomas is a Native American artist and each year they bring their current examples to the booth for sale. The area is beautiful and it is just what Logan needs to get her life on track.

When a young artist is murdered she finds herself looking for clues and following the trails of dishonesty and distrust that come to light. Can she have been wrong about her friend, is it possible that he is the guilty party, or is he just caught up in the backlash? The law has set their eyes on him as a suspect and do not appear to be looking in any other direction. She decides it is up to her to delve into the darkness and find out what really happened before the murderer kills again.

Can she live with the truth she finds, or is her life about to change again forever?

Davisson has given us a murder and mystery that pique your interest. What could possibly be behind the death of an arts festival worker? As with all walks of life, Davisson has found a niche in which to create chaos and mystery, as well as drama and crime. Her characters are quite real and have the flaws that make them likable. As the red herring continue to circle throughout the telling, you are drawn to the vulnerability of Logan, yet her strength as well.

Prior to her involvement in this death, she had only ever seen a dead body once before. Davisson takes us into the thoughts of her protagonist as she fights her battles separately, that of her friend but also the one she holds in her own psyche. By creating this fissure Davisson has created a more charismatic and believable protagonist, one that you are drawn to.

If you enjoy life and mystery you will find yourself immersed in this book. Once begun it is difficult to put down. Logan McKenna is a strong character and I am not surprised to see she will be back as a series character.

This would be a great book for your library as well as for a reading group. There is a great deal of subject matter that would make for great discussion.